Ramco Aviation recently signed a deal with Korean Air to implement Aviation suite & software solutions. To brief more about the current project as well as update on  other business plans, Saravanan Rajarajan S,Director – Aviation Solution Consulting, Ramco Systems, interacted with Vishal Kashyap, Managing Editor, Aviation World.

Q: Kindly brief about the current deal with Korean Air’s Engine Maintenance Center at Incheon?

A: Korean Air recently announced the construction of new engine maintenance MRO complex in Unbuk, near Incheon International Airport, which is slated to open in 2027. This complex will be the largest of its kind in Asia. Korean Air has previously managed its engine maintenance at its Bucheon facility, complemented by final performance testing at the ETC in Unbuk. The engine maintenance cluster will streamline the entire process with a strategic consolidation, enhancing operational efficiency by streamlining all the engine maintenance phases to a centralized site.

Korean Air is also set to significantly enhance its aircraft engine maintenance capability from servicing 100 engines to 360 annually, across a broader spectrum of engine types. Currently, the airline conducts overhauls on six engine models, including Pratt & Whitney’s PW4000 and GTF; CFM International’s CFM56; and General Electric’s GE90-115B. The expansion includes adding three more engine models to its portfolio, including GE’s GEnx and CFMI’s LEAP-1B. Implementing Ramco’s Aviation Software will form a backbone to streamline Engine Maintenance operations across current engine shops and planned expansion sites, replacing multiple legacy systems to unify operations across the Engineering, Production, and Supply Chain functions. In addition, Korean Air will also benefit from digital enablers such as Mobility apps for Mechanics, Warehouse clerks, and E-Pubs to manage digital documents from OEMs.

Q: The big number of aircraft orders in India has proved to be boon for the MRO industry. How do you see the potential of Ramco solutions in this growing aviation market?

A: Currently, only 15 to 20 percent of the MRO work of Indian carriers is done within India, with the rest serviced overseas. With the large orders from Indian carriers, there is an opportunity for Indian Airframe, Engine, and Component MRO providers to grow their business.

Ramco has a strong presence in the Indian MRO segment; two of the largest MROs in India, AIESL and GMR, have been our long-term customers. In addition, Ramco Aviation Software is deployed at various global sites catering to all lines of business.

New MROs will need a strong digital backbone to enhance operational efficiency, productivity, and customer satisfaction. Ramco Aviation Software has a strong offering for the industry.

Q: MRO as one of the key segment for Ramco Aviation, what are the unique and differentiated offer being made in this space?

A: Ramco Aviation Software’s core function is managing continuous airworthiness and work execution from lines, hangars, and shops, as well as inventory and procurement, customer services, and quality control.

The Solution helps digitally transform complex MRO processes. The integrated solution also helps in a wide range of functions, from Workscope induction to customer delivery and invoicing. Advanced capabilities, such as digital task cards, kitting and due parts tracking, mobility-based work execution, critical path, and turnaround time (TAT) management, help eliminate paper and inefficiencies.

Other key advantages of Ramco Aviation Software apart from its integrated nature is through:

Digitalization of OEM documents: The solution can process PDF-based and XML/SGML-based technical documents. Also, with its Direct EDI capabilities, it can access the OEM’s technical documentation library from the place of work through secure logins and API interfaces. This increases the operational efficiencies, by reducing the time and effort required to process the technical contents.

Smart automation: Aviation maintenance processes generate a wealth of data pertaining to the aircraft engine defects, parts consumed, labor hours, elapsed time to carry out the repair and overhaul procedure. Accumulated over time, this data can become a goldmine of information to gain insights. Ramco, with its AI/ML capabilities, derives the insights in all key processes such as work scope planning & estimation, production planning & scheduling, and other supply chain aspects, automating core operations, helping customers gain an edge over the competition.

Mobility-enabled shop floor work execution:Ramco’s Mechanic Anywhere mobile app helps the mechanics book time, report findings and record measurements, request parts and tools, and access the technical documents from the place of work. With the required regulatory approvals that are easily acquired through mobile apps, task and work compliance can be complied with digital e-signoff.

Ecosystem Integration:Seamless flow of data between the ecosystem partners such as suppliers, customers, shipping partners and banking systems is essential for augmenting operational efficiency. Ramco’s MRO solution enables a robust customer ecosystem through customer portal, bots and EDI connectivity thus providing the dual advantage of boosting efficiency and improving the delivery of value to the customers.

Real-time KPI monitoring & Analytics:Ramco’s integrated data analytics provides KPIs related to TAT, quality, cost, resource utilization, and warranties. These are computed dynamically without any need for manual consolidation and preparation. This allows for transparent and timely availability of insights for better decision-making.

Q: Who are your potential customers and how do you address their requirements? Is it a customer-based requirement or pre-developed products which is in offer?

A: Ramco Aviation Software is a fully web-centric application developed from the ground up specifically for the aviation industry. The solution offers an integrated platform for Airlines, 3rd party MROs, Defense, and Heli Operators to manage their functions around maintenance and engineering, supply chain, safety, technical records, planning, and financial control.

We have a multi-layered customer engagement process, from tactical software support requirements to strategic periodic business reviews. Customer inputs are taken during the Project Blueprinting, Support Tickets classified as New Requirements, Surveys, and Usage audits; these are evaluated and prioritized for the product roadmap.

We also work with our customers on a Co-Creation model for specific business needs leveraging next-generation technologies and for early adoption of new capabilities.

Periodic assessment audits are carried out on usage, and recommendations are provided to improve utilization. We continuously work with our customers to upgrade and train them on the new versions to maximize the value delivered.

Q: What are the focus areas that you are looking forward to capitalise in future ?

A: The value delivered by software increases as it adopts new technologies, thereby providing operational efficiencies to end users. We continuously invest in and leverage new technologies like ML, Digital OCR, Bots, Mobility, and Business Analytics into our product.

We work with our customers continuously to identify the pain points and apply appropriate technologies to solve the problem. We believe the process is continuous as the business landscape changes, the challenges, and the opportunity for software evolve to deliver value.

We are currently exploring the possibilities of applying Generative AI, which has advanced rapidly, to our product. Gen AI has a potential future as the MRO industry relies on different data sources, both internal and external, which is nonstandard. Gen AI could allow mechanics to have a meaningful and trustworthy conversation with their data. Leveraging our MRO Lab in Singapore, we are actively working with our customers on specific use cases.

Q: What’s the company’s growth plans?

A: We have released the latest version of our Aviation Suite, V5.9.6, to drive efficiency through improved usability and enhanced digital capabilities. This release provides Aviation Enterprises with some of the most comprehensive toolsets for driving digital transformation.

As companies in the MRO sector face an overloaded supply chain and labor shortage, utilizing an innovative aviation maintenance software is no longer an option, but a necessity for them to avoid scaling back on growth.

Our focus will be balanced between focusing on future growth engines such as MROs and Drones/ eVTOLs and augmenting our existing customer base which include clients across Heli, Airlines and Defense.